


Light My Body Up

by zankiefanatic



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bottom Mickey Milkovich, First Meetings, M/M, One Night Stands, Top Ian Gallagher, photographer Ian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-02 05:31:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10938000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zankiefanatic/pseuds/zankiefanatic
Summary: Ian is a paparazzi for a magazine, using snapshots of celebs to pay the bills. When he goes for his next assignment--new songwriter turned superstar Mandy Milkovich--he finds himself a little...distracted.





	1. Chapter 1

Ian adjusted the strap of his camera over his shoulder and clicked the button on his key fob to lock the car. He’d only been working for Buzz News for a couple of months and already they were putting him on the more profiled cases. Most of it had to do with just really good timing. He’d been in the middle of getting a burger outside of Calabasas and accidently broke the news that Lady Gaga had a new boo, and—though he hadn’t realized it would be such a big deal on account of what a homo he was—the fact that said boo was a girl set the media ablaze. His eight-dollar hamburger turned into the paycheck that covered his rent.  Now he was out in LA on a Friday night, not to party, not to have a good time, but to photograph other people doing it. Eh, everyone’s gotta eat.

            Tonight was new girl on the block, Mandy Milkovich. She was song-writer turned superstar after she stopped giving the hits to others and started using them for herself. Her freshness alone meant everybody wanted a picture, but the fact that she had lived in Chicago for a majority of her career and had just now made the move to the California meant it was easier to get a picture than ever. Buzz News got the inside hookup that Mandy and her friends were celebrating the move tonight by hitting up LA’s hottest clubs. Enter Ian Gallagher.

            There was a huge group of guys waiting out front for her arrival, but Ian wasn’t interested in rushed shots of her backside as she ran into the club, nor was he interested in humiliating the poor girl if she came back out too drunk to walk. He needed a clear, quick shot so he could go the fuck home and live his own life for a change. Luckily he had an in, which probably had a huge part to do with why he got the gig.

            Ian turned directly to the back all the while sending the text he’d had prepared since he got in the car to drive over here. A few seconds later one of the back doors opened and loud, boisterous music came spilling out, and so did his sister.

            “Hey Fi.” He grinned batting his eyelashes like the puppy he was.

            She rolled her eyes. “Don’t Fi me. You have thirty minutes. And if anyone sees you and complains you’re out of here. I won’t have you turning my club into a joke because celebs don’t feel comfortable anymore. Which is why I’ll be taking this…”

            “Hey! I kinda need my camera to take the pictures Fiona!”

            “Use your phone, or use one of those other smaller cameras I know you have. This will be in my office. You can get it back when you’re done tonight. Now hurry up.”

            He sighed but ultimately dug out one of the smaller cameras in his pocket. He really didn’t have time to argue with his sister. It was her club after all.

            Inside it was dark with bright, beaming strobe lights that sliced through all the bodies pressed so close together everywhere. Ian headed straight for the bar to get a drink, but also because it had a pretty good vantage point of everyone else. It was here that he saw him.

            He wore a tank top that had orange and blue stripes on it. His hair was sweaty and shiny and he ran his fingers through the strands till it lay slick against his head. He had a cigarette behind his ear and arms that told Ian he could toss even him around if he truly wanted. The lights were bright and obnoxious but somehow his skin was pale and creamy enough to cut through all of that. He was sexy. No he was hot. Fuck he was beautiful.

            The man was heading towards the bar—unfortunately not close enough for Ian—and his eyes followed him involuntarily. A group of women at the bar seemed to take notice of the divine man as well, but they could get bent cause he was all Ian’s. At least in his head anyway. Their giggling must have caught his attention because the man turned to send a confident smirk their way and instead of wondering whether or not that meant he was straight, Ian couldn’t help but get lost in the deep blues of his eyes. _Jesus Christ._

            Blue Eyes ordered what seemed to be a shit ton of drinks and Ian thought about offering to lend him a hand…or his dick. He was nothing if not helpful. Blue Eyes decided to head back towards his group which was apparently in the VIP section raised up above the dance floor full of common people. Mandy Milkovich was up there dancing the night away with some other friends. He handed her and said friends their drinks before keeping what looked like a scotch to himself. For a second Ian was panicked. Was Mandy Milkovich with this beautiful, mysterious ball of sex that had Ian’s tongue and dick in knots? Would Ian have to drop the story of his new crush being with this superstar Sia wanna be? Ugh.

            It took a second for Ian to remember that he did actually have a job to attend to. He reached into the pocket of his jacket zooming in and getting to work. Maybe his camera got a lot of group shots. Maybe he was taking extra pictures of Blue Eyes for… science. Someone might wanna create the perfect man one day and Ian would be there with photographic evidence. As if the mystery man wasn’t perfect enough as it was, as one point he ended up turned around by Mandy trying to force him to dance. The heavens opened, the angels began to sang, and Ian rose from his seat to honor the finest, fattest ass he’d ever seen in his life. What a beautiful life it was.

            The night continued with Mandy and co dancing up a storm. She was throwing back shots like water and was surprisingly good at keeping her liquor if you didn’t know she was Southside born and raised. Luckily Ian did. As she and her girlfriends drank more, so did Blue Eyes and the looser he got the more those eyes lit up and even a smile came to play. If he didn’t need to fuck him before he most definitely needed to now.

            Meanwhile in VIP….

            “WOOOOOOO! This is the best fucking club in the city!” Mandy giggled shaking her body for all it was worth.

            Mickey rolled his eyes but chuckled under his breath. This level of excitement was not enough for his sister.

            “For fuck’s sake Mick stop standing there brooding and move your hips already!” She screamed slapping at her brother’s shoulder. “I didn’t fly you in from Chicago to be your plain boring self.”

            “I’ll have you know I’m fucking delightful!” He called over the music.

            “I’ve seen you in party mode before. Why don’t you do find some guy and dance?”

            He raised an eyebrow “Cause that’s gay?”

            They both looked at each other for a minute before busting out laughing.

            “It’s L.A not the Southside. No one’s gonna judge you here. Go find someone. Have a one night stand. Get lost in the city. We’re fuckin’ young we deserve some fun!”

            Ever since her career had taken off Mandy had been fucking sunshine and rainbows. Songwriting brings good fucking money, but even that was nothing compared to her going public. Album sales, promotion, getting paid just to fucking show up somewhere, his sister was kicking ass in the world. It just so happened that she was taking him along for the ride. And he didn’t know how to even fucking begin to thank her for it. Ironically enough it sounded like she was offering him a way to.

            He rolled his eyes once again. The things you do for your blood.

            “Fuckin fine! I’ll go. Don’t mean I’m gonna find no one in this preppy, plastic ass place.”

            He stepped down from the fishbowl leaving Mandy and her groupies to keep at it while he went to the bar. Another Mandy perk was that she was fitting the bill, so if he got piss drunk it was for free.

            Mickey thought himself to be pretty perceptive. Especially when it came to the dudes he wanted to fuck. Call it a gaydar call it intuition, it didn’t really matter to him. He just knew that though he might have a whole fuck-ton of emotional baggage that made relationships difficult, he had definitely had something to bring to the table when it came to sex. No one had ever kicked him out of bed—not that he could say the same. He was a bit of a power bottom, and he loved taking dominant tops and making them whither like fucking sand between his fingertips. That’s the shit that got him off.

            He was at the bar for maybe five minutes before he noticed Red biting his lip at him. Who knows how long he’d been staring at him, but after sizing him up Mickey couldn’t help but give a bite of his own. Red was toned and lithe made perfectly viewable through his too tight t-shirt. He was tall and chiseled enough that he could probably throw Mickey around a little if he let him, but small enough that Mickey knew he could do the same. Plus, he had a thing for redheads. In reality none of that mattered. Red was one of the hottest fuckers he’d ever seen in his life. The red hair was nothing but a fucker bonus.

            Their eyes finally locked and Ian could feel something boil in his gut. It was one thing to see this guy from a far, but up close? Hot damn. If there’s one thing Ian had learned since Fiona, he, and the kids had packed everything up and moved to California for the pipe dream of running her own night club it was that nothing good ever comes from sitting on your ass. You gotta risk it to get the biscuit.

            Mickey smirked as Red got out of his seat and started the walk over to him. He was tall, taller than Mickey by a good couple of inches. Mickey liked ‘em that way, made it even hotter when he took ‘em down.

            “Hi.” Ian called over the blaring music. “I—I’m Ian. Is this seat taken?”

            “I don’t know, _Ian._ Is it?”

            _God even his voice is sexy!_

            Ian quickly sat at the stool beside Mickey, thanking all of the Gods for his long legs and the small amount space between them.

            “And you are?”

            “Mickey.”

            Ian grinned. “Nice to meet you. Is it creepy to say I’ve been eyeing you all night?”

            “Little bit. Sounds like a line. You hitting on me Ian?”

            A flush of color pulses in Ian’s cheeks and Mickey beamed. This was a dork hiding in a hot guy’s body. _Jesus._

            Ian absorbed the small embarrassment and allowed his confidence to take back over. If Mickey was going to entertain him than he was going for it. All in.

            “Depends.”

            Mickey shrugged. He’d bite.

            “On what?”

            “Whether or not you end up coming home with me tonight.”

            Granted it wasn’t the best line in the world. The wrong guy saying that would’ve headed straight for a restraining order. But the right guy—and shit was Red the right guy—was making Mickey squirm in his seat.

            “Guess you’ll have to get me a drink and see where the night goes.”

The club is pulsing with music and lights and heartbeats as people saddle up against each other for the night. Mickey let’s his body relax into the heat of Ian’s. Ian worked his hips keeping Mickey flush against as they danced. Mickey had insisted that he wasn’t the dancing type, but Ian had assured him he could make anyone look good dancing and the kid hadn’t lied. Or maybe Mickey was so entranced by the way he was grinding against him that he just couldn’t find it within himself to care.  Mickey reached back digging his fingers into Ian’s hair and scratching roughly causing Ian to whine pitifully in his ear. The nightclub around them faded as Ian leaned forward to bite down on Mickey’s neck. His back arched pressing his ass closer to Ian’s groin. They were fucked. And Mickey couldn’t wait any long for the foreplay to play out.

“How far away do you live?” He huffed turning towards Ian and licking his lips.

“Maybe half an hour?”

Mickey looked him up and down devouring him with his eyes.

“You better drive fast.”

“Abso-fucking-lutely.”

            Mickey simply sends Mandy a text telling her he’s fucking off for the night before following Gallagher to his car.

            Ian is thankful for the bipolar meds that limit him to one drink when they get to the car. Mickey is handy with a mouth that’s down right sinful and the things he’s doing are barely appropriate in Ian’s car let alone a fucking uber.

            LA traffic isn’t nearly as terrible at night and they make it out of the city sooner than expected, but Mickey isn’t nearly as pleased with their progress as Ian is.

            “Mmmm,” He hums—and the sound would send Ian to his knees if he wasn’t driving. “I’m getting antsy over here Red. Don’t know how much longer I can wait.”

            “Almost there Mick, promise.”

            The fact that he’s all rainbows and sugar to Mickey now, when they both know how rough it’s gonna get in a minute only turns him on even more.

            “Yea? You gonna be ready for me when we get there?”

            Ian stops at a red light and turns to face the dark-haired man.

            “You pitch or catch?”

            Mickey sniffed. “I catch.”

            “Good cause I pitch.”

            “Oh thank the fucking heavens.” He groaned letting his hand slide up Ian’s thigh and pausing as he cupped him through his jeans. “You pitchin’ a handful here too?”

            “I do alright.” Ian smirked.

            “’I do alright’, he says.” Mickey chuckled licking his lip. “This should be fun then.”

            Mickey kept gripping him massaging all that his fingers came in touch with. Ian closed his eyes struggling to remember to breathe through his nose as those fingers touched him. He couldn’t be sure if Mickey was expertly skilled or is there was something unique to him that had Ian’s body blazing, but whatever it was made him want to stop the car and give himself to Mickey, fully and in every conceivable way. Not even topping would have stopped him from being with Mickey that night. He just wanted him.

            A horn honked causing Ian to stumble out of his head and realize that the light had been green for who knows how long. Mickey simply smirked at him with those devilish blue eyes wide and shining. There was no telling if Ian would make it through this night in one piece.

 

            Mickey couldn’t describe what Ian’s place looked like if he was on the stand before a jury with a gun to his head. The world shrunk down to a six-foot-tall ginger guy with beautiful green eyes and a hard dick. Mandy had been right; the Southside was sucking the life out of Mickey and the only time he got to live, got to truly be who he knew he was inside was the few times a year his sister flew him out. His father had been dead for years and yet still he was keeping him captive at home, in a house full of nothing but ugliness. And yet somehow he was standing with nothing but beauty before him. Red was a GQ: Irish edition waiting to happen, but that pot of gold was all his tonight.

            “I wanna prep you, get you ready for me.” Ian whined as Mickey used his entire body for a human popsicle.

            Mickey was in the middle of sucking a hickey into the grooves of Ian’s abs causing his body to ripple with pleasure. He licked his way up giving Ian’s nipples a little play too before their eyes finally met.

            “Usually a pretty face like yours could get me into the prolonged ass play man, but I have feeling nothing’s gonna match what you got waiting for me. What do you say we save the attentiveness for another time huh?”

            Mickey for all his brash and crude language had let something slip, something outside of the rough extensive nature of Mickey’s constant bravado and—at times—hyper masculinity. Luckily Ian was there to catch it.

            “Another time?”

            It was Mickey’s turn to turn red. They paused for a beat, Mickey straddling Ian’s thighs and Ian holding onto Mickey’s gorgeous hips, as they stared at each other. And in that moment, something changed.

            “I meant another time tonight.” Mickey mumbled. “What you only gonna be able to get it up for me once, firecrotch?”

            Ian smirked the smirk of someone who knew they had already won, and suddenly Mickey knew the kid was more dangerous than he’d given him credit for.

            Ian quickly flipped them over pushing Mickey’s squirming body into the mattress before licking, sucking, and biting his way to his jeans. Mickey’s body trembled when Ian undid his belt with his teeth. What kind of school they taught that at he’d love to fucking know, but he forgot to ask on account of the redhead swallowing his cock down like a popsicle in the desert on a boiling day.

            “Shit.” Mickey whined unable to move under Ian’s firm grip, but he was practically melting anyway. “Feels so good.”

            This only encouraged Ian further. He set a quick and brutal pace slurping up and down his shaft and going farther with every bob of his head. The second Mickey entered his throat he held him there letting the muscles constrict around Mickey’s throbbing flesh long enough to watch his lover go cross-eyed. If Mickey wasn’t already trying not to cum he would’ve sworn the fucker chuckled with a dick in his throat. Fuck.

            As pre-cum began to saturate his tongue, Ian slowly slid up letting Mickey’s dick come out of his mouth red, hard, and dripping spit. Even Ian being the ass guy that he was couldn’t deny how fucking amazing his dick looked in that moment. He raked his eyes over his lover’s body traveling over the map work of hickeys and bite marks and blood that was flushing his smooth milky skin. The man was gorgeous and Ian couldn’t remember ever wanting anyone more than he wanted him in that moment.

            “Jesus I need to get in you.” Ian groaned grabbing himself through his boxers. “Flip over.”

            Mickey did not hesitate to do so lifting his hips so that Ian could pull everything off. He was left bare only for Ian to grab his ass in his hands and squeeze letting out a groan that had Mickey’s cock twitching yet again.

            “Even better close up. ‘Gonna wreck this ass, Mick.”

            Mickey tried to pretend that he didn’t fucking shiver at this guy’s words. He failed.

            “Better get to it Red.” He grunted arching his back.

            Ian leaned over Mickey’s body to grab the lube and a condom out of his night stand and get to preparing Mickey. Though it had been become clear throughout the night, Mickey was most definitely a power bottom and he couldn’t seem to help himself from running things from the bottom, even when it came to his prep. Ian had barely gotten three fingers in him, before Mickey was kicking at him to get a move on. Given the state of Ian’s erection, he didn’t need to be told twice.

            The second he sunk into the man beneath him was like an orgasm within itself. Mickey’s heat was stifling; he was tight all around him and Ian was sure nothing had ever felt that good. Mickey just happened to feel the same way.

            “Holy shit!” He cried, voice broken and needy all at the same time. “’S big.”

            “You need a second?”

 And Ian sounded no fucking better.

“Hell no. Fuck me.”

            Their bodies were slicked with sweat. The room stewed with it as Ian’s body covered Mickey’s. He wanted to show Mickey that he was good, that he could do him so good, but he found himself getting lost in the other man’s body. It felt too good to be in him, felt like Mickey was pulling and pulling until there would be nothing left of him. He couldn’t help but lose himself in that feeling, in something so entirely unique that it could only be Mickey. He slid his fingers through the sweat on his skin and gripped tight, gripped hard as he tried to crawl deeper within him chasing the feeling that no one had ever given him before.

            To say that Mickey felt the same way was an understatement. He was always a quiet one in bed, but the redhead was reaching in him and pulling sounds out that he’d never made before, making him feel things he’d never felt before. It didn’t seem fair, but he couldn’t stop it, and the more fucked up thing was that he didn’t want to. He let Ian grab his hips, let the touch sear through his skin and fucking growled as he plunged inside of him.

            “Jesus Christ, you feel so good.” Ian whined bucking inside Mickey faster and harder.

            Mickey’s body lurched with every one of Ian’s thrusts. He let his head fall forward and dug his fingers into the sweaty sheets holding on for dear life as he worked his hips back to meet Ian thrust for thrust. The bed beneath them whined in protest joining the harmonies of each of their grunts and moans. Ian wasn’t slowing down, kept forcing every inch deeper inside of him. And Mickey wasn’t just gonna let him show him up either. It was too much. It was hitting him and taking him somewhere he’d never gone before. His vision went white as Ian accidently—and amazingly—found his prostate sending their lovemaking into a whole other realm of weird, hot, fantasy

            “I can’t! I can’t it’s too good.” Mickey whined bucking and bucking as his prostate was being touched over and over again.

            “Is it good? You like it hard and slick inside you huh? Like the way that hole opens up for me so pretty. You my pretty little boy Mickey?”

            He nodded, no longer coherent, but more than ready to feel full again.

            “Love pounding this ass. I can’t wait to stretch you open when I’m done, let you see the mess you’ve made. What you do to me.”

            Mickey keened as the praised warmed his being.

“What do I do to you?”

Ian smirked delightful as Mickey’s ability to initiate sex talk looking bashful and blushing despite his muscles and otherwise scary appearance.

“You drive me crazy,” Ian muttered picking up the strength and speed of his thrusts. “You feel amazing. I just have to get as deep inside of you as I can. Want to always be in you. Need you.”

Mickey, who had never said more than three words to someone in bed before, found himself heavily impacted by Ian’s words. Because he was great, really fucking great, and had the audacity to claim that the reason the sex would go down at his best fuck ever had anything to do with Mickey. The praise was all consuming and it had him clenching down on Ian’s dick as an orgasm so beautiful that it shattered him to pieces descended upon his body. He came just as hard as they had fucked pulling Ian over the edge with him as they each cried out into the stale, sweaty air.

They collapsed—Ian on top and still inside of him—in a wild, tangled heap still so sticky and wet that their bodies seemed to have melt into one.  Ian looked over in time to see Mickey smile something sweet and innocent leaving him with the urge to snap a picture of the wonderful sight. He thought it best to give his limbs time to remember that they were limbs first, so he kissed him instead. And for some dumb reason Mickey kissed back grinning happily up at him with those gorgeous baby blues. He’d never been so fucked in his life. Literally and metaphorically. What a night.


	2. The First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mickey reaches out to Ian and gets asked out on his first date. They learn a little more about each other as a connection starts to form. For Mickey it may be just a little harder to leave LA than he'd expected.

When Mickey leaves it’s not till the afternoon. Not until Ian leaves him spent and grinning from ear to fucking ear. Not til he’s kept him hostage against his door for ten minutes straight, kissing him till his lips are red and swollen. Not till there’s beard rash on his throat from Ian’s five o’clock shadow, a hard-on in his pants, and Ian’s number in his phone stored specifically under the name Red with a fire and eggplant emoji. He shouldn’t have given him the phone in the first place, but that’s beside the point. 

“Call me.” Ian murmured rubbing tenderly at his hip. 

Mickey scratched nervously at his nose. 

“Y—Yea. I will.” 

Despite the fact that Mickey was staring down at the floor, Ian followed his gaze forcing their eyes to meet. 

“Yea? I’d really like to see you again before you leave LA.” He emphasized, nervous that the second Mickey left he’d vanish into thin air. 

“How’d you know I’m not local?” 

Ian froze at the royal fuck up, and reality hit that the boy he liked was the brother of the girl he was paid to stalk. He didn’t like to think of his job that way, and Ian always tried to be as respectful as possible but that was still was it ultimately came down to. 

“I—You mentioned it last night? You said something about flying in from Chicago.” 

“Huh…” Mickey mumbled. “Guess I was a little distracted.” 

Ian beamed at that and quickly leaned in to distract Mickey some more. The poor man barely made it out alive.

 

“Gallagher where are the Milkovich shots! PopCrush already has their photos posted, I need a better angle from the inside.” Jerry screamed. 

Jerry was Ian’s boss at Buzz. He was a nice guy when he wasn’t stressed… He just happened to be stressed most the time. Ian sat at his desk twiddling the flash drive with his pictures on it. He’d gotten the exact shot that they needed and despite it not being on his big, fancy camera, the image was crystal clear. 

Ian quickly pocketed the flash drive. 

“Jerry I’m sorry man. My sister couldn’t get me in last night. Some bozo got caught trying to sneak in beforehand and her security was too crazy. We’ll have to get it another time.” 

He let Jerry scream his head off for the next fifteen minutes because he knew he deserved it. But, in the midst of searching through the images he kept coming across Mickey’s face. He just didn’t have the heart to profit off his sister’s happiness. It felt like a conflict of interest, felt dirty to him. Ian really fucking liked Mickey, enough to lose out on the check. It was weird for him, as he hadn’t felt that way about anyone in a long time. But here he was staring down at his phone every couple of seconds to see if Mickey had reached out to him in anyway. It’d been two days. 

In the middle of Jerry’s attempt to break Ian’s ear drums though his phone finally pinged with a text from an unknown number. Maybe there was a God after all…or maybe it was just Mickey. 

Mickey: What are you doing for lunch today? 

 

Mickey stumbled out of his uber and into Mandy’s ridiculous new apartment completely incapable of hiding what he’d been up to last night. He’d made the mistake of wearing a tank top and no jacket in the California heat and Ian—the territorial fucker—had staked his claim all over Mickey’s body. It didn’t take a genius to see where he’d been, and his sister wasn’t all that fucking smart to begin with. 

“Well look who we have here?!” Mandy called loud and annoying as always. 

Mickey had managed to walk directly into what look like a meeting with all her important manager type people. This was the perfect opportunity for her to take the piss out of him.  
“Where have you been?” 

There were a couple of ways he could play it. He could skirt around the bush. He could be up front about what went down and risk all her business people judging him. Mickey was a little high on dick so sue him if he made the wrong decision. 

“I was out getting a dick shoved up my ass, that okay with you sis?” He asked calmly. 

Mandy squealed cackling up a storm like the true witch she was. 

“Damn Mickey, I said find a guy and dance not run off with the first one you find. Guy looks like a vampire from over here, you harlot.” 

Mickey rolled his eyes immediately flipping her off and heading to his room. He collapsed on the sheets and stared up the ceiling irritated that he couldn’t stop smiling and irritated that he wasn’t more irritated. He let his fingers trail up his ribs where Ian had sucked, touched the bite mark on his nipple and poked at the hickeys all over him. He may look a little worse for wear but Mickey had genuinely never felt better. Something about that redheaded ginger freak had made him feel alive and free like he never had before, like he’d never let himself feel before. 

He couldn’t get him out of his head. Not just the sex but the way he smiled into his neck when they woke up the next day. How big his hands were and the way they seemed to domineer his body. The sound of Mickey’s name on his lips. It was all consuming. It had been hard to leave the next day, and that was something Mickey had never quite felt before. 

Eventually though he couldn’t help but be reminded that this wasn’t his life; it was Mandy’s. In a few weeks he’d be back off to Chicago running schemes with his brothers and doing fuck all at life until Mandy felt gracious enough to give him another taste of the sun. The truth of the matter was that life was all drear and darkness for Mickey and he’d never met another person who deserved to shine more than Ian. He couldn’t bring him down just to feel better about himself.

Jesus when did he get so gay? 

 

Mickey was sitting at the island in Mandy’s kitchen trying to eat when she finally approached him about the incident a couple of nights ago. 

“So…How was it?” She asked because his sister didn’t believe privacy was a thing apparently. 

He rolled his eyes over his cereal. 

“I’d give it a five star review on yelp if I could. Any other dumbass questions?” 

“Are you gonna see him again?” 

Mandy noticed the swift change in her brother. He went from cocky and sarcastic to immediately subdued. Mickey always looked everyone in the eye no matter how scared he was. He’d always met their father’s eye which was maybe why he’d always bared the brunt of his wrath. For Mickey to not look her in the eye meant something. 

“Nope.” 

“Why not Mick?” 

He shrugged. “Few weeks I’ll be back to being a piece of shit on the Southside. Might as well cut my losses.” 

“That’s bullshit!” Mandy quickly snapped. “We’re just as good as anyone. It doesn’t fucking matter where you’re from. We don’t fucking look down on ourselves, ever, and you know that.” 

Something about being from Southside hit a little too hard for Mandy. Mickey suspected that that was the reason she’d been so afraid to come from songwriter to actually singing her stuff herself. Where they came from it was like the Southside clung to you like smoke or something, you couldn’t rid yourself of it and everyone seemed to avoid you because of it. Mandy seemed to have gotten out, but Mickey wasn’t like his sister. He didn’t have all of the go-getter personality. He’d been content with that for most of his life but… he couldn’t help but feel like it might be nice to see the other side for a change. 

“Sure sis. You’re right.” 

It wasn’t till the next day when he was flipping through his phone that he came across Ian’s number. For all he knew it would go terrible and he’d wobble on back to Southside with a bruised ego and continue on with his days. His sister’s optimism was enough for him to take the chance. Let’s see if that Southside funk made it all the way to Cali. 

A simple text asking if the kid was hungry seemed simple enough. It would take him a little while to learn that nothing with Ian would ever be simple. His phone rang minutes later. 

“Mickey.” Ian beamed through the line. “I didn’t think you’d call.” 

Mickey bit his lip. “I didn’t Red. I texted you. You called.” 

There was a laugh on the other end and dammit if Mickey didn’t fucking melt at the sound of it. 

“Right. So uh…you wanna go out on a date?” 

A date. 

Mickey had never been on a date before. 

“Is that what you want to call it?” He asked feeling his shoulders redden through his shirt. 

“Yea. I mean if that’s okay with you. I mean I don’t wanna push you into anything or do something that you’re uncomfortable with.” 

“Your dick was in my ass forty-eight hours ago; I think we’re passed the uncomfortable stage don’t you?” 

Ian kept laughing and Mickey didn’t think he was all that funny, but he’d keep trying if meant hearing that sound some more. 

“Mickeyyyy,” Ian whined playfully causing the man to freeze. “I just wanna hang out with you. Maybe take you out to dinner. Know more about you besides the fact that you’re diabolical in bed.” 

This kid was dangerous. Very fucking dangerous. 

“W—What happened to lunch?” 

“Technically I’m at work. And I don’t really get lunch—I just kind of eat whenever I can. I want to devote my time to you and I don’t think lunch is the way to do that. I think we need dinner. I know a place. I’ll take you tonight. Around… eight-thirty? I’ll make reservations. Ooo I can pick you up! Send me your address okay?” 

Mickey was left flailing. Here he was never having been on a date in his life and suddenly an innocent lunch turned into a full-blown thing. And he didn’t know how he was supposed to be good at any of this. 

“Mick?” Ian asked after he’d stayed silent for a moment. 

“Okay. Alright I’ll…send you the address.” 

“Good. I can’t wait to see you again.” 

“Yea,” He sighed. “me neither.” 

Ian eventually hung up the phone and Mickey was left looking around for someone to explain what the fuck had just happened. Mandy stumbled into the living room to see him staring off into space in deep contemplation. 

“The fuck’s up with you?” She asked. 

“I . . . I’m going on a, date.” He muttered in awe. 

A second later his sister left out an ear-piercing squeal. Mickey didn’t know who would be the death of him first: Mandy or Ian. 

Ian hummed a song that a had been on the radio when as he knocked quickly on the door. He’d made the reservations for this wonderful place with really good wine for relatively cheap and kick ass fish tacos, and he couldn’t have been more excited. Ian’s whole life was knowing the every move of people he never actually met. But with Mickey he just wanted to know everything, and he wanted him to be forth coming with the information because he wanted Ian to know. He hadn’t been this giddy for a date in such a long time. Something about Mickey just felt so right. 

The door burst open and it was as if ice water was thrown on Ian because Mandy Milkovich was on the other side of the door. Once again he was reminded of what had led him to Mickey, and something about it didn’t sit right. He knew if he told Mickey he was a pap that he wouldn’t trust him and they’d be over before they even got a chance to start. He had to play it cool. 

Mandy scoffed. “Well this is just unfair. Where’d he find you at: GQs R US?” 

Ian smiled shyly. “Is uh, is Mickey here?” 

“Yea; he’s changing outfits for the third time. You can come in.” 

Meanwhile Mickey was trying on another shirt because fucking Ian hadn’t told him how fancy this restaurant was gonna be and he had to look right. Of course, by the time things were all set and done he ended up in the shirt he’d put on initially. By the time he was ready to go he could hear his sister and his date talking which meant he needed to get the fuck out there. 

Ian and Mandy were sitting on the couch and she was drilling him. She actually reminded him a lot of Debbie with her fierce protectiveness of her brother. It was cute. Mickey eventually stepped out and that she was all she wrote. Mandy watched as she quickly lost his attention, his eyes zooming in on her brother like there was no one else in the room. 

“Hey.” Ian murmured softly. 

‘Hey.” Mickey mumbled just as gooey ducking his head to hid the smile he was sporting. 

Mandy could just vomit from the cuteness. 

“You uh wanna head out?” 

Ian quickly stood up. “Yea, sure.” 

“Stay safe! Use protection!” Mandy called after them. 

Mickey turned back to glare daggers at her, but Ian just laughed. He had a way of making most things okay. It was weird. 

Driving in Ian’s car to the restaurant, Mickey couldn’t help but remember that the last time he’d been there his hand had been on Ian’s dick. Ian on the other hand was really insistent on talking, something Mickey would soon learn was unavoidable with him. 

“So, how was your day?” 

Mickey shrugged. “Alright I guess… Spent most of it with my sister.” 

“Yea, she seems very protective of you. Reminds me of my family.” 

“Sorry if she uh scared you or something. Mandy’s intense.” 

“Nah man she’s cool. I like that she cares so much about you. It’s cute.” He smiled. 

Mickey snorted. “Don’t ever let her hear you say that.” 

The restaurant isn’t as fancy as Mickey expected and he actually feels semi comfortable. It’s hard not to with Ian giving him every ounce of his attention. He keeps asking him questions, and he ends up talking more than he’s ever talked in his life probably. Ian got a bottle of white wine because Mickey didn’t like dark and he kept his glass full as he spoke, asking follow up questions and accepting every word. Eventually Mickey just dropped the pretenses and started telling him the truth hoping to shock the kid and even that didn’t work. Ian was just fully invested in whatever he had to say. He’d never experienced anything like it.

“So wait your dad just used you and your brothers for like a gang?” He asked. “Sounds like a shitty dad.” 

“The shittiest. He’s been dead a while now . . . still doesn’t feel good enough.” 

“I know the feeling.” 

“Yea? Your dad nearly kill you for being gay and then spit on your mangled body?” 

Ian leveled him with a stare and didn’t back down. Odd.

“Not quite. My dad never got around to carrying about my sexuality he was too busy stealing the money we needed for heat to buy booze until his ‘disability’ check for his non-existent disability came in the mail so he could drink more booze. My family and I we’ve always stuck together to survive. Frank he just… he didn’t care. And he made our lives living hell. I always thought when he died I’d miss him but, I don’t.” 

Mickey nodded completely understanding where he was coming from. When he was with Ian being a Southside piece of shit didn’t seem so bad. He made it all not feel so bad. 

“I get it, man. Family’s messy.” 

Ian smiled. “You’re right… I’m sorry your dad was a dick. If it helps at all I still think you turned out pretty good. And I for one am happy you’re gay.” 

Mickey couldn’t help it; before he knew what hit him he was fucking laughing and it drove him crazy because he really didn’t understand how he was doing it. How Ian could make the biggest things seem not big anymore baffled him. 

“How the fuck do you do that man?” He asked. 

“What?” 

“Take everything and make it good, light. Where I come from everything is ugly. How do you make things seem not so bad?” 

Ian shrugged taking a sip of his wine. 

“Hmm how can I say this without airing all my first laundry on the first date…?” He chuckled. “Let’s just say I’ve seen a lot of fucked up shit; I’ve done a lot of fucked up shit. I try not to go back there, and the only way to do that seems to be through positivity. It’s not exactly a full proof system, but I make do.” 

Ian noticed that whenever Mickey wanted to tell him something particularly cute or intimate that he had a habbit of ducking away from his eyes. This is what he did right there. 

“It’s cool. I—I like that you can get through your shit. We all got shit ya know? It’s good. You’re good.” 

You’re good? What a fucking idiot. Jesus Christ what am I doing here?! Someone save me! 

Ian giggled. “That’s nice to know. I like having your support. Makes me feel like superman.” 

“You certainly got the body for it.” Mickey muttered. 

“All these compliments are starting to get to me, Mick. What else do you like about me?” The redhead grinned. 

Yea not fucking likely. 

“Why don’t you tell a story for a change? What are you from LA or something?” 

“No uh I’m actually from the Southside too. My family and were born and raised there. My mom wasn’t around and we kinda liked it that way. Frank was…Frank. I got—sick and Fiona, my big sister she went through the fucking ringer for me. She paid for things she didn’t have to money to pay for, and she took care of me when I didn’t want her too. One day she comes to us about running a club. None of us believe her ya know, so we laugh telling her just cause you’re a waitress doesn’t make you a club runner. But Fiona’s Fiona and she made it happen. And she started making okay money, and then decent money. Then she started hosting her own parties and she was making good money and she paid of my medical bills. I think she got so excited that she just wanted to go out into the world and forge her on path. Someone sent her work to a property manager in California, she bought the space and man she never looked back. Without having to forge together for food and shit I was able to do whatever I wanted for the first time in my life. And I fell in love with photography.”

Mickey watched Ian’s face take on a new level of watts as he lit up over his first true love. He couldn’t even pretend like he knew a damn thing about photography but that didn’t make it any less great to hear him talk about it. Ian had paid his way through school to major in photojournalism and photography. He knew it wasn’t the biggest money maker in the world, but it was what he loved and he was willing to work his ass off to do it. Mickey wished he had one ounce of the confidence and determination he had. Maybe he wouldn’t still be in the Southside busting heads with his brothers. The longer he spent with Ian the more he thought that maybe there might be something outside of Chicago for him after all. 

“Is that what you do now? You get paid to take pictures? That’s pretty fucking cool man.” He told him as sincerely as was manageable. 

Even though it wasn’t entirely the truth, Ian was taking pictures but they weren’t exactly in magazines or art galas, Mickey had this way of making Ian feel important. It was like for once someone was proud of him. Mickey cared and that was more than enough for him. 

“What about you? Tell me more about Southside, what’s it like now?” 

Mickey’s cheeks reddened and his eyes dimmed. “You don’t wanna hear about that shit show. It’s still the same. Like time doesn’t even move. I hate it.” 

“Why do you stay then?” 

“Where else am I gonna go man?” He asked and there seemed to be a deeper meaning to the question that Ian couldn’t help but pick up on. 

“Your sister’s here in LA.” Ian noted silently adding that he was here too. “You could make a life for yourself here.” 

“What’s a piece of shit like me gonna do in California?” Mickey joked, but Ian didn’t find it very funny. 

Ian frowned at him. “Be happy. You do deserve that you know? We all do.” 

Mickey looked down at the table suddenly super interested in the salt and pepper shakers.

“You this sappy on all your dates?” 

“Only the ones I really like.” Ian smirked. 

Mickey smiled over that big goofball and Ian bit the bullet reaching across the table to take his hand in his. There was a second where he thought Mickey might pull away but he didn’t and that’s maybe why he liked him so much. Things might be hard, and they might be scary, but Mickey would eventually work through it. There wasn’t much else he could ask of him. 

When dinner was over they were both a little tipsy and completely infatuated with each other. The beauty of uber meant they could be handsy in the backseat on the ride back to Mickey’s. Ian would be lying through his teeth if he said he didn’t want to end the night in Mickey’s bed. 

“Can I walk you to the door?” Ian murmured voice husky as he nibbled on Mickey’s ear. 

Mickey groaned softly. “Yea.” 

Mickey shuffles out of the car and notices that Ian—the cocky shit—pays for the uber meaning he has every intention of staying the night. So does Mickey but that doesn’t mean he needs to know that yet. They make their way to do the door and Ian is on his ass doing things to his neck and ear that he likes, he likes a lot. Ian’s hands are on his hips and dipping down to cup him in jeans and it’s ridiculous how much it turns him on. 

“You look so fucking good tonight. You know how much I wanted to reach across that table and fuck you right there?” 

“Eat your heart out Gallagher.” He smirked. 

“I’d rather eat you out.” 

He busted out laughing. “For fuck’s sake!” 

“C’mon Mick,” Ian sing sang. “let me in. I want you.” 

“You want me?” The blue eyed man whispered huskily. “How much do you want me?” 

“I want you so fucking bad. Let me show you how much.” 

He ground his hips against Mickey from behind blowing against his neck where the skin was flushed and sweltering. Jesus. It was enough of making Ian sweat it out, it was time to actually build up some fucking sweat.

“Alright let me unlock the damn door. And stay quiet, my sister’ll skin us both and hang up by the balls.”

They stumbled inside and Ian immediately captured Mickey in a passionate, biting kiss. Gallagher had a way of getting under his skin, all hands, teeth, and tongue everywhere and yet not enough. Before Mickey knew what was happening he was flying through the air as Ian lifted him up and carried him to the nearby guest bedroom. Surely they’d topped the meter the last time. Surely the sex couldn’t get any better, and they couldn’t destroy each other any worse. Wrong. 

Ian slammed Mickey into the door tearing at the buttons of his shirt and immediately chasing skin with his teeth. His fingers were hot against Mickey’s flesh and he was immediately everywhere sucking his nipples to hard peaks, kissing his way down his abdomen, yanking at his pants, and getting Mickey’s dick into his mouth within seconds. It was ridiculous. And good. So fuckin’ good. 

“Shit. Yes. Fuck yes, Ian.” He grunted leaning his head against the door. 

Ian bobbed his head enthusiastically keeping a tight pressure on Mickey’s cock as he sucked and slurped. He found that he loved having Mickey in his mouth, loved the firm weight on the base of his tongue, loved the stretch in his jaw and lips. But more than anything he loved how Mickey fell apart in front of his very eyes. HE loved how Mickey cried for him, moaned for him, was willing to do anything to keep his lips on him. It was his reaction to the way Ian work his lips on him that had Ian wanting to suck him dry. 

“I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum!”

Ian kept sucking until he was sure Mickey was just on the cusp of blowing before he pulled off. 

“Get on the bed.” 

Mickey did as he was told settling back against the pillows with a firm fist on his cock as he watched Ian strip down. Damn if that man didn’t look like a fucking model just stripping down to the barest form. He might feel a bit insecure if Ian didn’t worship him in the bedroom so much. He couldn’t help but feel good when Ian was on him. 

“I’m gonna fuck you so good you’ll think of me every time you walk for days.” Ian whispered.

He made good on his promise that night. 

 

Mickey woke up next morning with a giant ginger draped over him. Warmth radiated from his skin and it should have been uncomfortable, but nothing with Ian ever was. He watched him as his chest rose up and down. There was a splattering of freckles upon his face and Mickey wondered how long it would take to count them. He’d never been in a bed with someone he’d slept with longer than the time it took to get his clothes back. The truth was he’d never felt as safe as he did with Ian. It was weird for him, but he wasn’t willing to fight it, not when the guy made him feel so good. He just wanted to be with him. 

Eventually those emerald green eyes met his and he couldn’t fight the smile that lit up his face. Ian quickly returned the gesture. 

“Good morning.” The redhead rasped. 

“Morning.” Mickey mumbled not so subtly worming his way closer. 

Ian crossed his arm over Mickey’s waist tucking the smaller man under his body. 

“You were incredible last night.” 

Mickey’s cheeks warmed. “Yea well, you did all the hard work.” 

“I couldn’t let the fattest ass in LA go uneaten. There are plastic surgeons trying to re-create this ass you know?” He chuckled grabbing Mickey under the sheets. 

Mickey rolled his eyes. “You’re the most extra guy I’ve ever been with.” 

“’Been with’ huh? You saying you’re with me, Mick? Are we going steady now?” 

“You’re so fuckin’ dumb.” 

They lied in bed for a while, Ian with his head on Mickey’s chest and Mickey with his fingers rubbing at Ian’s scalp. They were so…content. Even in silence they could just lie with one another and be happy and that was something Mickey had never had before. Ian just wanted to keep hanging out with him. He wanted to be with him all the time, and he wanted Mickey to be happy. Happiness just looked so good on him. 

“When you go home…will you forget about me?” Ian asked eventually. 

Mickey snorted. “I don’t think I could if I tried.” 

“I mean... I—I like you. Like a lot. More than I’ve liked someone before. I don’t wanna give up on us before we even get a chance.” 

“What do you want me to do, man? Just pick up my life and move to California for you? We just fuckin’ met.” 

Ian couldn’t help but be stung by the strong words, but logic told him that Mickey was right. No matter the love potion he was on right now, they barely knew each other. Mickey didn’t owe him anything. 

“I know. I know you don’t have to do anything for me. But you’re happy here. You’re happy with me. I think that… we could be something. And I don’t want you to give up on that. I’m willing to do whatever it takes. Text. Emails. Phone calls. Skype. I just wanna be with you as much as I can.” He admittedly softly. 

Mickey closed his eyes in frustration. 

“It’s not that easy for everyone. Not everyone knows how to just be in a relationship and do all this shit, Ian.” 

Ian looked at him and the stress that was taking over his features. He ran his lips along Mickey’s chest and kissed at the skin softly. 

“I’m not asking you to be perfect, Mick. I want you as you come. I just want us to try.” 

Mickey opened his eyes to look down at a redheaded puppy looking up at him with bambi eyes. 

“What did I get myself into with you?” He muttered taking his cheek in his palm. 

Ian kissed at his hand and smiled. “Hopefully something good.” 

Mickey sighed. 

They would see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a one shot but Mhunter10 blessed me with beautiful ideas and I couldn't just not write them, so there may be one or two more chapters to this. We'll see. 
> 
>  
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Talk to me people! 
> 
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> 
> Tumblr: zankivich.


	3. Love Hurts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Mickey grow closer and closer spending all their time together. Mickey's wall begin to come down and Ian get to be softer and gentler with him--the crazier part being that Mickey lets him. Everything is perfect when they're together, a sense of freedom existing in this wonderful bubble of love and affection. It's all perfect. Until it's not....

            Mandy watched from a crack in her door as Mickey lead Ian to the door. The redhead was all over him, taking her brother’s face in his hands and kissing him like he had the last of the world’s air supply. Her brother also totally had to lean on his toes to kiss that ginger giant and if that wasn’t the cutest damn thing that was 150 percent going to give him shit about she didn’t know what was. In the back of her mind she couldn’t help but note that she’d never seen Mickey kiss anyone in her whole life before, and she’d definitely never seen him smile at anyone the way he did at Ian. Sure, they were cute. They were fuckin’ adorable. But the look on her brother’s face was all Mandy needed to see to know that this Ian kid was something good for him. So, he earned himself the Mandy Milkovich seal of approval whether he knew that or not.

 

             It took Mickey longer to get Ian to leave this time, and it took him even longer to fight the part of himself that didn’t want the guy to leave. Ian had promised to text him after work and was full of plans for them to do before he went home. He actually wasn’t pushing Mickey to do anything outside of his comfort zone, accept for the fact that everything about Ian was outside of his comfort zone. This left Mickey feeling warm and fuzzy—words he’d never used to describe himself in his entire life.

 

              He leaned against the door running his thumb against his bottom lip. He could still feel where Ian had touched him. His body was loose, and the ache from the bruises and in his hips felt good. No one had ever taken such good care of him before. Mickey didn’t know how to handle all the things Ian was making him feel. But he wanted to try… Then Mandy came along and fucked that all up.

 

              “Well brother if the dick was good enough to keep _me_ up all night, I’d say the guy’s a keeper!” Mandy grinned stepping her way into the living room.

 

               “Fuck off, Mandy.” He muttered.

 

               He went around her and headed towards the kitchen but it was useless. His sister had something to say and she wasn’t going to let him off the hook until she said it.

 

               “Oh don’t get your delicate panties in a bunch. He’s hot. Like really hot. Took you out to dinner. You let him stay the night. And dare I say it, did you kiss him at the door? Mickey this is all the tell-tale signs of a romance.” She chuckled before gentling her approach. “I’m serious Mick. Do you like this guy?”

 

               “’Course I fuckin’ like him.” He snapped keeping his head in the refrigerator as though to lessen the amount of “intimacy” with his sister. “Fucker is impossible not to like. Fuckin holding my hand and kissing me and turning me out on shit I never even thought about. He’s like a liquid just infinitely taking up the space of the container he’s in.”

 

              “Science metaphors huh… this must be serious.” She murmured.

 

             “He wants me to stay in California.”

 

             Mandy smiled. “I want you to stay in California too.”

 

              “And do what Mands?” He asked warming himself up again as he faced her. “Live with you and spend my days with Ian whenever he’s not at work? I’ve done nothing with my life. I don’t have a legal job, my rap sheet is a joke, and I’m dumb as all fuck. He’s got a life already, what fucking good is it gonna do me to move here with no money, no nothing.”

 

              “Look I understand that it’s scary to imagine a life outside of the Southside, but don’t pretend that there’s anything keeping you back but yourself. You’ve got nothing for you back home. No future except lock up or death fucking around with Iggy and Joey and you know it!  I’m here. You want a job we’ll find you one. You got a guy who god forbid wants to make you happy. You want a different life, fucking building one. But don’t sit here and complain like it’s not possible because it is. I did it; he did it, and you can do it too. Just fucking try.”

 

             There was no point in arguing with Mandy when she was right. Mickey was scared shitless of moving to California. What if it didn’t work. What if he couldn’t do what Ian did and he just ended up living in his sister’s guest bedroom as she rose to frame, for the rest of his life? He wanted something that was his own. And now that Mandy had pointed out that he was pussy there was no choice but to go out and grab his, because a pussy he was not. Damn Mandy. Damn her to hell.        

 

 

            Ian had spent all day at LAX snapping pictures of all the stars landing for some award show that weekend. Luckily he wasn’t working the actual award show which meant the weekend was his, and he had all the time in the world to do what he actually wanted to do in the world…. Fuck Mickey Milkovich within an inch of his life.

 

            “JESUS FUCKING CHRIST!!!”

 

            Mickey had made the mistake of opening his legs while Ian was still standing. The bed was already high as fuck because Mandy had grown bougee and Ian’s height gave him the perfect leverage to hold Mickey’s legs in his arms and pound him into the mattress. There was a high pitched whining sound that started around twenty minutes in when his voice broke, and every time he tried to cover his face and mouth to maintain his dignity Gallagher would simply  move his arms and fuck him harder. It was cruel.

 

            “Fuck. Fuck Ian it’s too much. Too fuckin’ good.”

           

            Ian didn’t lessen his movements.

 

            “You gonna cum for me?” He panted. “Wanna watch you cum untouched.”

 

            Ian had found his prostate and he wasn’t letting up. It was hot and he was gripping him so hard, every thrust was felt in his teeth. He was rocking his world and there was nothing Mickey could to do to stop it.

 

            “Yea—Yea I’m gonna cum. Please, I wanna cum for you.”

 

            Ian narrowed his thrust aiming with more precision against that bundle of nerves. He changed his grip on Mickey’s thighs for a grip on his neck instead and leaned forward so that his body covered Mickey’s as he shattered him to pieces.

 

            “Love fucking this ass, Mick. You’re so damn tight for me. You take my cock so good. Cum for me baby.”

 

            His orgasm hit him suddenly and violently. Ian’s hand on his throat was making it difficult to breathe which only made him cum harder.

 

            Ian watched his back arch up off the bed as Mickey came hard and untouched. He was fucking beautiful like that with red chest and shoulders unable to form words or even sounds for that matter. Ian had been focusing on bringing Mickey to that climax that it took him by surprise when Mickey tightened down on him, and soon he was cumming too.

 

            “Holy shit man.” Mickey croaked as a laugh rumbled through his chest. “You’re amazing.”

 

            “You’re amazing.” Ian chuckled kissing his way through the sweat and cum to connect their lips. “Love touching you.”

 

            “Mmmm.”

 

            Ian bit his lip. “The fucking sounds you make. I need a minute, be quiet would you?”

 

            “What I’m just supposed to stay silent over here?!”

 

            “Yep. Give me five minutes.”

 

            Mickey watched in astonishment as Ian just cuddled into his side like they had regular nap sessions or something before promptly closing his eyes. This kid was really going to kill him one of these days.

 

There was a knock at Mickey’s door a few hours later. Ian and he were on the couch watching some low budget horror film on Netflix. Before he even got a chance to react, Ian was up and answering the door. He returned with bags of food and simply plopped back down next to Mickey again.

 

“This is the third time you’ve paid for something. I’m not a broke bitch you know, I can afford food too.” He muttered already digging into spring rolls.

 

Ian simply smiled at him. “You’re so cute when you’re angry. You can pay next time; I was just hungry. You’re taking up a lot of my energy lately.”

 

“No shit. We’re gonna have to start hangin’ at your place. My sister is bitch on a good day, but keep her up and we’ll wake up with knives at our throats.”

 

“Understandable… But uh you’ll be leaving soon anyway, right?”

 

Mickey watched the big, bold ginger immediately turn shy on him, no longer making eye contact and focusing solely on his food.

 

He sniffed. “Not necessarily.”

 

“Huh?” The redhead asked face already lighting up like light bulb.

 

Mickey just shrugged keeping his eyes on his food. “I was just talking to my sister and she hates being here by herself all the fuckin’ time. And I hate the house where I grew up anyway so it wouldn’t be such a big deal if I decided to stay here alright?”

 

He was taken aback when Ian shoved his way into his space and kissed him deeply, taking his time to fully dominate his mouth. Mickey couldn’t help but melt against those lips allowing him to take over. If this was how Gallagher felt with good news, Mickey might have to find something else good to tell him.

 

“I’m so happy for you.” Ian whispered against his mouth. “I just want you to be happy, Mick.”

 

The amount of honesty in that moment was enough to suffocate him any other day, but he figured if he was gonna try and make this work he might as well go all in.

 

“I’ve never done this before and it scares the shit out of me.” He admitted. “But, I also don’t think I’ve ever been happier, so…”

 

Then Ian was throwing that fucking smile in his face again and he couldn’t decide if he wanted to hit him or kiss him. Somehow the latter won out and their food was soon forgotten.

 

“Oh Jesus.” Mandy muttered as she stepped into her own home. “Is this gonna be a thing with you two now? Are you gonna be that couple that showcases PDA with reckless abandon?”

 

“Technically we weren’t in public. We were in the privacy of your own home.” Mickey smirked.

 

Ian grinned. “There’s lo mein, if you’re interested.”

 

“I already like him more than you.” She sneered sticking her tongue out at her brother.

 

They ended up all hanging out on the couch watching terrible movies and eating Chinese food. Ian loved watching Mickey interacting with his sister too, mostly because they were just the most adorable grumpy human beings he’d ever met. It was immensely clear that despite the shit they gave each other that they cared so much about one another. It reminded him of his own siblings and it felt good to be around.

 

“Where’d you fuck off to all day?” Mickey asked humming contentedly as Ian ran his fingers through his hair.

 

“I’m going to my first award show as an actual artist! I got to try on designer dresses all day, how great is that?!”

 

“Truly riveting.”

 

“It better be; you’re my date bitch.”

 

Mickey rolled his eyes nuzzling deeper into Ian’s touch instead. The fact that Ian had yet to comment on the elephant room—aka my sister’s a popstar—was comforting. He knew that he knew, Mandy wasn’t in a place where she could go unnoticed anymore, but the fact that Ian never commented on it and was always more focused on Mickey made him feel good. He was never able to get out of his sister’s shadow, but with Ian it felt like he was finally getting his day in the sun.

 

“You wanna help me pick out something to wear to this shitshow?”

 

Ian shrugged. “As long as you wanna look as hideous as possible so no one tries to grab at what’s mine.”

 

It was the most possessive Ian had ever been—outside the bedroom at least, Mickey had the bite marks to prove that—and besides turning him on a little bit, it also made something flutter in his gut. It was maybe top five, the gayest he’d ever felt.

 

“I look good in anything, I’ll work around you.”

 

“Hmm… Good point. I don’t know how I feel about this anymore.” He teased playfully.

 

“You’ll get over it.”

“I’ll try. You might have to help me.”

 

The base in his voice was enough to leave his spine tingling and Mickey looked at the redhead biting his lip.

 

“I could do that.”

 

“Yea?”

 

“Yea…”

 

“Oh for the love of God try not to suffocate choking on each other’s dicks so much.” Mandy groaned.

 

At least she supported their relationship.

 

 

 

Ian picked Mickey up to go find an outfit for the big award show. Mandy demanded that he go with a color scheme that would match her dress, but she was wearing some outlandish gold number so Mickey just nodded with no actual intention of going out looking like the Gangnam style guy. He’d never felt so content hanging out with someone before, and it was weird to miss someone when they weren’t around. Being with Ian made him feel good. Normal.

 

“How was work today?” Mickey asked.

 

Ian smiled. “I like that we’re at the ‘ask each other how our days were’ phase of our relationship. It was good I finished earlier than expected. Usually takes a little longer to get the perfect shot.”

 

“I truly enjoy your sappiness. What were you shooting today?”

 

“Just uh—a model. The average model in random over the top outfit type picture for a magazine cover.”

 

Technically he had shot Kendall Jenner… she’d just been at the hair salon instead of at a shoot.

 

“Sounds artsy, man.”

 

“Right? Now it’s time to turn you into a dream boat though. You excited?”

 

“Excited isn’t exactly the word I’d choose.” Mickey said dryly.

 

They end up at some fancy store for the next three hours rifling through shirt after shirt and jacket after jacket. The only thing keeping Mickey from dying of utter boredom is Ian. He made the whole experience actually bearable. He was handsy and goofy and made the most terrible puns in the world, but Mickey dug it. He dug everything about the guy, and it was really making it difficult to not like him so much. Every time he tried to pump the breaks or remind himself that he’d only known this guy a couple of weeks, he’d point that dumb smile toward him, or hold his hand, or even just say his fucking name and it all just felt like a huge waste of time. He liked Ian Gallagher and there was no way to stop it.

 

“Want me to come in with you and help you try things on?” Ian asked all puppy dog eyes and sugar to cover the deviant grin underneath.

 

Mickey rolled his eyes. “Not likely. We got shit to get done Gallagher. We can play your sex games later.”

 

“Promise?”

 

            He sent him a middle finger but Ian just stuck his tongue out and pretended to rub through his nipples through his shirt. Mickey laughed and it pissed him off, but not enough to not smile at the doofus.

 

            In the dressing room though, he squirmed. Ian had picked him out an outfit that was a little out there, especially for a guy that had never worn a suit before. It was a red suit, and he’d picked out a black shirt that supposedly went wonderful with his hair and eye color. The suit itself was a darker maroon color, with a black seam running down the leg of the pants. He’d reached for a thirty-six-waist size only to have Ian laugh. He had told him that he, himself wasn’t a thirty-six and that there was no way in hell Mickey was. He’d send him back with a thirty-two to, “give that ass room to breathe while still showing it off”. The most humiliating thing ever happened the second he put the pants on; he felt like he’d been reunited with his own ass. On the Southside when you have two older brothers, you wore whatever pants were given to you. His brothers were giants of course, and he’d never gotten the chance to wear slim fitting pants. He’d never gotten the chance to wear any of the stuff he was wearing in fact. So, when he stepped out in front of Ian, it was a little more vulnerable, and a little more revealing. He remembered when those words weren’t even a part of his category, and now here he was…

 

Ian’s face opened and lit up when Mickey stepped out. He looked fucking amazing. Like ten out of ten. Like an ad for sex personified. Ian had photographed award shows for years now, and there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Mickey was the best thing he’d ever seen. And he expected him to know as such.

 

“Wow.” He breathed stepping up to him and running his fingers down the lapels of the jacket. “Mick, you look so damn good.”

 

Mickey’s cheeks changed to resemble the color of his suit, and Ian could have died from the cuteness.

 

“I—It’s alright. This is the one though, yea?”

 

“Abso-fucking-lutely. I’ve never seen anyone look as good as you do right now. Did you get the tie on?”

 

“Nah man, I don’t need it.”

 

Ian would be the first to admit that Mickey and he were still getting to know each other. But over the past couple of weeks he’d learned a lot, and one of the most important things was that Mickey was a really shit liar. Bless his heart, he was terrible at it.

 

“What’s up? Why are you lying to me right now?”

 

Mickey’s eyebrows rose at the redhead saw completely through him. Was there anything Ian couldn’t weasel out of him?

 

“I can’t tie a tie, alright?”

 

Ian softened at that knowing where it came from. Where they came from tying a tie was never on the list of importance. How could it be when there were bills to pay and mouths to feed?

 

“Why didn’t you just say so?” He murmured grabbing Mickey’s hand and tugging him back into the comfort of the changing room.

 

He snagged the tie and slid it around Mickey’s neck slowly going through the motions to show him how to do it.

 

“I didn’t learn to tie a tie until I moved to LA and had my first interview for a job. Even then I was horrible at it. You’ll get it down eventually, until then I’ll be around.”

 

            It sounded like a promise. Mickey could get used to that.

 

He smoothed him out looking Mickey up and down, not with lust but with adoration.

 

“Mandy’s gonna have the perfect date. Don’t tell her I said anything but I’m jealous.”

 

Mickey bit his lip looking up at the redhead in disbelief.

 

“Is there anything wrong with you? You’re too perfect.”

 

Ian grinned leaning in to kiss him soft, slow, and deep.

 

“Not even close. But, I’d like to be the perfect guy for you, if I could.”

 

He grabbed at the taller man’s t-shirt pulling him closer for another kiss.

 

“Mission accomplished, Red.”

 

 

 

 

Ian: Have fun at the award show today. You’re gonna look like a sexy devil. Bring me something from the gift room? Breathe. You’ll be fine. (Also take selfies?)

 

It was a hell of a text to wake up to. Mickey was in the privacy of his own room so he didn’t have to hide the fact that it kind of made him smile. He hadn’t told Ian he was nervous but the ginger had a way of just knowing things about him. Mandy was dragging him through her whole get-ready process which apparently was gonna take the entire fucking day, so he wouldn’t see Ian until after the award show. It was probably the least amount of time they would have spent together since their first date. Not that Mickey was clingy or anything, he just didn’t want the redhead to feel bad. Totally.

 

Meanwhile Ian spent the day out on assignments sneaking pictures of a couple people out and about. He went to lunch with Debbie, Carl, and Liam. He went for a run before therapy and was able to have a good session. Sure, Mickey wasn’t there and that sucked but it seemed as though just having him in his life at all made the days go better. He was just getting out of therapy when the sun was starting to set. He turned his phone back on to see a picture of Mickey and Mandy before the show that did his heart good, and a whole bunch of missed calls from his boss. There was a text that said to get his ass to the office. He was close enough for it not to be a big drive, and he didn’t really feel like getting his ass chewed so he headed in to work—on his day off no less.

 

The building was empty except for Jerry because it was of course too late to be working. Ian headed straight for the big guy’s office hoping to get it over with and be back at home to play, “how many times can I spot Mickey in the crowd”.

 

“What’s up boss?” He asked.

 

“What’s up? You got anything you wanna tell me?”

 

Ian raised an eyebrow. “Not particularly, why?”

 

“You sure?”

 

“I’m sure, I’m sure.” Ian chuckled. “What’s going on?”

 

“This is what’s going on!” He yelled throwing a stack of paper at Ian.

 

They weren’t papers; they were photos. Dozens of them. All clicking through Ian and Mickey’s trip to get his suit. There was a picture of Ian caging him in against one of the racks and kissing him. Pictures of them smiling and having fun. Ian had taken hundreds of thousands of pictures of other people’s lives and yet he’d never been on the other side of the camera. It was a little daunting.

 

“W—What is this?”

 

“This is the front page of every goddamn magazine, website, and blog in the country. Pop sensation Mandy Milkovich’s brother is dating a paparazzi, and she feels absolutely betrayed. You had a story to tell, your own personal damn story, and everyone knows before I do. Are you fucking kidding me?”

 

“No. No no no no.” Ian mumbled throwing the photos in order to pull out his phone.

 

Mickey’s phone went straight to voicemail but that didn’t mean anything right? Maybe he was already at the show and he didn’t know anything.

 

“Gallagher I’m talking to you!”

 

“She doesn’t feel absolutely betrayed because she didn’t know okay?! And he didn’t fucking know either. I wanted to keep it that way!”

 

“The cat’s out of the bag now.” His boss sniffed.

 

Ian kept calling and leaving voice mails and text messages as he made his way out of the office and ignored his boss’ rant.

 

“Mick I know what it looks like. I know okay? But just… just let me explain. I would never hurt you.”

 

            He booked it out of the city to make it to Mandy’s in the hopes that he could catch Mickey. He sat outside on their doorstep after it was dark and the street lights had come on just hoping that Mickey would talk to him. By the time the car pulled up he’d been out there for over two hours and he didn’t know whether to sigh in relief or hope for the car to disappear again.

 

            Mandy shot out of the car like a bat out of hell quickly making him wish he’d chose the latter. The punch to the face surely told him that they knew; the jig was up. She looked at him with nothing less than disgust, even going as far as to spit at his shoes before shoving her way into the house.

 

            Mickey was slower. He got out of the car with his hands in his pockets. His tie was undone and Ian wanted more than anything for them to go back to that day when things were light-hearted and good. It had all been so good. The pain and sadness on his face was enough to take Ian’s breath away. He’d seen so many emotions on his face before but never sadness, never because of Ian. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to face, hurting someone that he genuinely cared so much about.

 

            “Mick..” Ian croaked as the man came to face him.

 

            Mickey pulled his hand out of pocket and thumbed at his lip to stop it from trembling. There was a running joke in the Milkovich family that none of them had ever learned how to cry, but he had a feeling he might learn tonight.

 

            “It was fake? All of it? You were just using me to get to Mandy after all that. After I let you—”

 

            “No, Mickey please,” He sighed stepping closer. He couldn’t have imagined how much it would hurt to see Mickey flinch and move away from his touch. “it’s just a big mistake.”

 

            “A mistake? So you weren’t using me to get pictures of Mandy? You’re not one of those scums of the fucking earth pressing themselves up against cars and shit just for a picture?”

 

            “I do take pictures but I would never use you to get them. I—I like you.”

 

            Mickey laughed. “Don’t tell me that. I don’t wanna hear your bullshit anymore.”

 

            “It’s not bullshit!”

 

            “No, it is. and I’m dumb as fuck for believing it. For thinking that for a second a guy like me was gonna end up with—And I actually thought you fucking cared.” He swallowed, a lump in his throat beginning to form as his eyes watered.

 

            “I do. I do; I care about you so much Mickey you gotta believe that. None of it was fake.”

 

            “The funny thing is, I spent all this time thinking I was the lucky one, when the real piece of shit was you.”

 

            He stepped past him letting his shoulder ram into the guy pretty good before trudging slowly up the steps.

 

            The red carpet had been ruined for his sister when all the questions were quickly about her brother and his new “lover”. He watched the excitement drain from her eyes, but he also couldn’t help the pain in his chest. It had all been a ruse. Ian worked for some big-time website, and was known as one of the bigger paps in the Los Angeles area. Mandy had been known as one of the more difficult pictures to get because she was still pretty new to the area, and didn’t go to big hotspots in town. It had been easy for Ian to worm himself in at the club. He’d lied about everything and the sadder part was that he’d fallen for it, had eaten that shit up with a silver spoon. He didn’t know what hurt more: to know that he’d slipped up, or to finally be told that he still wasn’t shit and no one would ever really care.

 

            When he opened the door Mandy was on the other side sending him sad, pitying eyes and he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle that. He grabbed the nearest bottle of brown liquor in her cabinet and headed straight for his room content to forget that this day ever happened. Maybe when he woke up, he’d be someone else. A little better. A little happier. A little less broken. Maybe.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops....
> 
> Sorry? Love me! 
> 
>  
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Let's talk <3
> 
>  
> 
> Tumblr: Zankivich.


	4. Tequila and A Flash drive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ian and Mickey, both heartbroken, try to move on without each other. It's much easier said than done. When fate brings them back together, will they make up or just give up?

Ian took the day off. The weekend had passed painfully slow what with him not leaving his bed and everything. He took his meds and the food to go with it, but that was the extent of his life. He went through periods of groveling where he called and texted Mickey for a couple of hours. Mickey didn’t respond and eventually turned his phone off. Ian could only vent out his frustrations to a pillow then, happy that no one was there to see the tears that may have slid out. It felt like the hardest break up he’d ever had in his life, and yet he wasn’t even sure whether or not it was technically a break up. Technically he and Mickey had never defined the relationship. They had just been hanging out, but Ian had thought it would be so much more.  He wanted it to be more.

 

Mickey was no better. The morning after he woke up with a headache and spent the next hour by the toilet. His throat hurt, his head hurt, and his heart hurt most of all. It was fucking sucky. The worst part was that he knew he was most upset that it was over; that he wouldn’t see Ian again, and not actually the fact that he’d done what he did. He actually missed him. That made him feel fucking dumb, and wished more than anything that he’d never gotten his fucking heart involved. Now he felt weak. Maybe he always had been.

 

Mandy brought him something for the headache and food to coat his stomach, but it was hard to pretend that he had any interest in doing anything but wallowing.

 

“What are you gonna do now?” She asked him bluntly.

 

He shrugged. “Can’t very well go home now can I? Collin and Iggy would fucking kill me themselves.”

 

“You don’t know that.”

 

He stared at her for a second in disbelief and she quickly bowed her head knowing that her brother was probably right.

 

“Are you gonna talk to him again?”

 

“What for? He used me to get to you and now it’s done. It’s over.” He shrugged stabbing furiously at his scrambled eggs.

 

She bit her lip trying to find the balance between being understanding and having her brother think she was pitying him.

 

“What’d he say to you last night?”

 

“Said he cared about me, that what we had was real. Sounded like one of those fuckin’ romance books you used to hide in your dresser.”

 

Mandy rolled her eyes. “You were always digging through my shit . . . You think he was lying?”

 

“Fuckin’ course he was, Mandy. Who knows how much money he’s made off of you. I was just a fucking tactic.”

 

Mandy watched his scratch at his nose and blink a couple of times, and she couldn’t help but remember that her brother was hurting in all of this. So she did something she didn’t do very often: she hugged her brother. He flailed for a second before eventually holding his sister close. She knew he’d liked Ian, she didn’t know how much, or what it meant to have someone show such interest in him. For it to all be fake, really broke him. Of course, he wouldn’t say this but it was evident, and it hurt her.

 

“He wasn’t even that hot.” She whispered in his ear.

 

Mickey snorted. “If only that were true.”

 

“Well if you wanna go out tonight and find another tall ginger tree to climb on I will fully support you in this endeavor.”

 

“Maybe another time. Not really in the climbing mood.” He shrugged.

 

He got up after that and headed back to his room leaving behind a plate of uneaten food and the smell of a boy with a broken heart.

 

 

 

**Two Months Later**

 

 

Eventually Ian got the hint that Mickey wasn’t going to answer his calls. Even later he got the hint that it was time for him to stop calling. He went back to work and his boss took pity on him and stopped putting him on Mandy duty. He still lived his life the same way. He worked and he went for runs and he hung out with his brothers and sisters and went to therapy. But for whatever reason it didn’t feel the same. He wasn’t naïve enough to think he’d fallen in love with Mickey, but he knew that he liked him, that Mikey had been special and important and he wanted to be with him. It hurt to know that Mickey no longer believed these things. It hurt to not see his face anymore. So yea, the world was a little duller without Mickey Milkovich and he didn’t know if that would change any time soon.

 

            His family was very protective of Ian and they noticed the light go in and out their brother’s eyes. Unfortunately for Ian, nothing could ever be simple and if he was down it had to mean something was wrong with him mentally. Every frown, sigh, and subdued look was dire; while he understood their care for him it sucked. When he needed to be alone the most, they were insistent on being around him.

            That’s how he ended up at Fiona’s club again. It was LGBTQ+ night and she, for some reason, thought watching other queer people have fun with their respective dates would be just the thing to perk her brother up. Ian had only said that they meant well... not that they were any good at it.

 

            “Cheer up sweet face, as you can see there are plenty of gay fish in the sea. Just pick one!” Fiona yelled to him handing him another drink.

           

            Usually Fiona was very insistent that Ian not drink, but he’d been moping around for weeks and she was getting desperate.

 

            “Fi, for the last time, I lost someone good, someone really good, and I’m not ready to just find some random fish to dump a load into okay? I just wanna be left alone.”

 

            She squirmed a little at the rather gross analogy but eventually left her brother be to sulk at the bar.

 

            Ian was racking up bottle after bottle of beer—no one ever allowed him to have the harder stuff—when a commotion came to the club. He turned his head to watch a huddle of people pushing through the club and towards the vip section. It wasn’t abnormal. Fiona’s club was known for having A-listers which why Ian often snuck in for pictures. There was a little hysteria but ultimately the crowd settled down and went about their business. He looked up trying to catch a glimpse of who it was when the lights beamed across the shock of black hair. His heart stopped.

 

            He never told Mickey that the club they met at was Fiona’s club, because that might have led to him actually telling him the truth, and maybe then he wouldn’t be alone right now. Even then Ian had dreaded coming back to his sister’s club after all the memories of last time. For Mickey to be there meant he must really not care at all. Too bad that just wasn’t the case at all.

 

            Mickey hated his sister.

 

            The last two months had been the slow, meticulous process of Mickey getting his life together. Mandy hired him on at security—and was kind enough to pay him probably more than he needed or was worthy of—and even let him live with her long enough to start securing a savings. California was expensive as all fuck and the Southside had not provided him with the resources to survive there. So, he followed Mandy wherever she went and made sure no one did anything stupid. He tried to make himself not think about Ian every day, and failed miraculously. The first couple of weeks had been filled with text messages and voicemails, but maybe the most devastating was the day he woke up to nothing. That meant that it was really over, and Mickey couldn’t help but be destroyed by that all over again.

 

            He was never able to vocalize to Mandy why the breakup that wasn’t even a breakup hurt him so badly. No one had ever shown the kind of interest that Ian had. Ian made him feel like he was worth something, that he wasn’t the scum he’d known himself to be all his life. When he was with him he almost forgot his whole life: his dad, his brothers, the fame of his little sister. Ian thought he was sexy, and funny, and worthy of talking to. No one had done any of that before. Then he had to find out that none of it was real, that things were just the same as they’d always been.  And for so long he thought that he was fine with that, but he quickly came to understand that he wasn’t. at all.

 

            Fast-forward to that night where Mandy was so excited for gay night that she insisted Mickey tag along. It wasn’t difficult to notice her ulterior motive, which was trying to get him laid again, but Mickey wasn’t at all interested in picking someone up from that hell of a club. Obviously it hadn’t worked out well the first time.

 

            “Are you gonna dance or are you gonna be a dickhole all night?!” Mandy asked already shaking her hips.

 

            “I’m leaning more towards the second one. I’m on the clock you don’t pay me to dance.”

 

            She rolled her eyes. “You might as well go get our drinks then cause we’re about to get wasted!!!”

 

            Anything to get away from Mandy and her girl squad. They were all singer-songwriter extraordinaires and they were annoying as all fuck. A second of solitude would be enough.

 

            He headed back to the bar which was much more crowded than usual forcing him to the only part of the bar that was free. He rattled off a long ass order of fruity cocktails with a something much harder for himself before turning to watch the crowd while the drinks were made. He saw a lot of people having the time of their lives. Guys on guys, girls on girls, people who didn’t seem to exists solely in one or other still dancing on someone or just having a good time by themselves. Mickey wondered endlessly what that felt like.

 

            While he was standing there he felt eyes on him. He looked up to the vip section where Mandy was too busy dancing and knew that he wasn’t her. It took him a minute to locate the red hair and green eyes, but once he did he was frozen. They stared at each other for a while trying to memorize each other’s faces again. It was so weird how his heart actually felt better seeing him again. But unfortunately he couldn’t forget everything, and as much as Ian was a reminder of great things he was also a reminder of bad ones.

 

            The bartender brought the ray of drinks and he quickly threw back his own before requesting another. A night around Ian wasn’t going to be easy sober. He could tell.

 

            God, it was just like the first time. Mickey’s skin was pale and creamy and the fluorescent lights lit him up expertly. If he had his camera he’d have started capturing the beauty immediately. It was worse to be around him now, knowing what he tasted like, knowing what his laugh was like, and how those fuck-u-up tats felt wrapped around him. It was even harder to see the hurt in his eyes when he recognized him, and it devastated Ian to see Mickey walk away without a word.

 

            The next couple hours was full of two heart-broken boys staring longingly at each other in-between getting absolutely hammered off their respective drinks. Granted Ian didn’t have to drink nearly as much—on account of the meds and his self-confidence—to do something he shouldn’t. Mandy for one was over the both of them.

 

            “Why don’t you stop glaring at him and go talk to him?” She asked her brother.

 

            Mickey scoffed around his drink. “Like fuck I’m talking to firecrotch about anything, ever.”

 

            “Look you obviously have feelings for the kid, and if he didn’t give a fuck he wouldn’t be watching you like some puppy trying to please his owner with the offering of a dead rodent. He’s not taking pictures like he could be, go fucking talk to him.”

 

            “I’m going to get another drink.”

 

            He shoved past his sister and headed for the bar again subconsciously—but also purposely—positioning himself closer to Ian than he had been since that last night.

 

            “Must be pretty hard to get a good shot from all the way down here huh Terry Richardson?” He sneered not even baring a glance in Ian’s direction.

 

            A sober Ian would have immediately started groveling, but a drunk Ian—a drunk on meds Ian—was a whole different breed.

 

            “Very funny Mick. I wonder what’s funnier the fact that you can name a contemporary photographer or just how much of a dick you are? Try as much as you want to convince yourself that what we had was fake, but I never used you and I never used Mandy.”

 

            “Oh sure, you just profited off her and used me to do it. No, for sure, that makes sense.”

 

            Ian groaned slamming his bottle down on the table.

 

            “You know if you didn’t spend so much of your time being a sarcastic asshole maybe you’d have a little more time to realize that that doesn’t even make any sense! Don’t you think if I was with you to get to Mandy that her personal life would’ve been in the press by now? Pictures of her apartment, her bedroom, the fact that she definitely does coke on occasion and you do it with her? Has there even been more paparazzi at the place than usual? No? Of fucking course not because I didn’t sell-out and I’m not a fucking snitch! If you’d have given one ounce of a fuck about me, you would’ve known that. Southside rules don’t get left behind here.”

 

            Mickey blinked over in his direction, but refused to actually absorb anything Ian was saying. He was drunk too after all and the rational part of his brain was shut down for the night.

 

            “Oh now we’re playing the who-cared-more card?! Newsflash dickhead, I didn’t fucking lie! You did, about everything!”

 

            “I didn’t lie! I just didn’t tell you what kind of photography I do because I knew you wouldn’t trust me if I did.”

 

            “Photography?!” Mickey cackled. “You think what you do is actual photography? You were talking to me about art and shit like you were the next Picasso, you think you’re worth something? You’re just a scumbag feeding off people of actual success for money. None of the shit you do is worth a goddamn thing!”

 

            Drunk Mickey had a tongue like a razor, and he could cut you down like a fucking chainsaw to a piece of paper if he chose. Ian had been up front and honest with him about what photography meant for him, and in the heat of the moment he used that against him. Even drunk Mickey knew it was a low blow.

 

            “Fuck you, no fuck you Mickey! I work damn hard at my job. And I’m not a scumbag. I’m always fucking respectful to everybody and I get my pictures the right way; you don’t know shit! You think you’re a tough guy, you think you’re better than me? You’re not! You’re a scared little boy so petrified of failure or of actual success that you don’t ever do anything. Instead you just sit in your sister’s shadow all day whining like a little bitch!”

 

            Ian’s tongue wasn’t much better…and neither was Mickey’s fist. The first punch sends Ian sprawling back against the bar, but he’s up quick and fast launching himself at Mickey. For whatever reason, no one dares break it up. Perhaps it was the bartender who had been watching them bicker and decided a fight was what was needed, or because people were having a good time and didn’t give a fuck about them. Ian landed a couple of good punches and Mickey did the same. They each had their weaknesses that the other were stronger in leaving them pretty evenly matched.

 

Eventually Ian gets Mickey pressed into the bar and raises his fist ready to knock that smug bastard the fuck out, but he sees his eyes—how shockingly blue they are, he sees the blood oozing from his lip, and the bruise above his cheek bone. The fight drains out of him and he reverts back to how he had felt every night since Mickey had dumped him. He just wants to take the pain away. So, he kisses him and hopes it’s enough.

 

No one is more surprised than Mickey when Gallagher’s lips are on his. The fact that he leaned into it and began to kiss back was more perplexing. Then Ian’s tongue was in his mouth and suddenly nothing was perplexing, except maybe why weren’t they doing this somewhere private with lube. Fuck, he was drunk.

 

Mandy watched from above in her vip section as her brother scurried off to the bathroom with Ian in tow after the most melodramatic display of gayness that she’d ever seen in her life. She hoped he got it and got it good because her brother had been a bigger bitch than she lately and that just was not acceptable.

 

Meanwhile in the bathroom…

 

“Jesus, fuck!” Mickey hissed as Ian slammed him into the bathroom stall door.

 

Ian on the other hand was not giving out compliments tonight.

 

“Fucking asshole. Making me wait two goddamn months to touch you.” He muttered already on his knees and working at Mickey’s belt.

 

            He scratched down Mickey’s thighs after pulling his underwear and palmed him roughly. They’d gone hard before but this was different. This was anger and irritation and coarse movements. They weren’t necessarily trying to make each other feel good, but they were trying to get each other off and all the pent-up emotions of the lack couple of months were bound to seep through.

           

            Ian swallowed him down and Mickey felt his legs nearly give out. No one had ever given it to him like Ian, and even in this angry state he was still the best he’d ever had. It was all mechanical, Ian bobbing short and fast with his mouth locked tight to bring him to the edge as fast as humanly possible.  Mickey’s fingers gripped tight at Ian’s hair pulling involuntarily with every slurp of his mouth. How could it still feel so good? When he wanted to hate him with every fiber of his being, how could he still turn him into jelly at his feet—or this case, his knees.  Ian trailed his hands up Mickey’s ankles and all the way to his hips gripping them strong and sturdy as he brought him to an orgasm that punched the air from his lunch.

 

            “Ahhhh fuck!” He moaned. “That’s so good.”

 

            “Turn around.” Ian hummed as he got off his knees and wiped at his mouth.

 

            Mickey’s eyes widened. “What you think I’m about to bend over in a fucking bathroom stall for you like some whore? And without lube?! Fuck that Freckles we’re going to your apartment.”

           

            In his drunken state Ian couldn’t help but grin goofily.

 

            “I love it when you go all power bottom on me.”

 

            Mickey flipped him off before buckling his pants and grabbing Ian’s wrist to lead the way out the bathroom.

 

            They take an uber again too drunk to even remember that neither of them drove there in the first place and allow themselves to familiarize themselves with one another’s body. Mickey was a size queen, proud and true, and Ian was one the biggest he’d ever taken on. Not having that for two months was stressful on Mickey, truly. And Ian had fallen in love with Mickey’s ass, had wrote sonnets about the physics of its perfect roundness, and orgasm causing abilities. They’d been so infatuated with each other before being cut off cold turkey. Their reunion wasn’t defeat, if anything it was saving each of them from spontaneous combustion.

 

            When Ian gets him into his bed he does everything in his power to give Mickey something that will keep him coming back forever. He tries to crawl inside of him and leave a piece of himself there, gives all of his body to Mickey to have and to keep. He wants him to know that it was all real, that it was impossible to not want Mickey in every way. Ian had to have him.

 

            “I missed you.” Ian whined sucking a dark mark into the crook of Mickey’s knee as he moved deeper inside of him.

 

            Mickey threw his head back in pleasure letting Ian pull those sounds out of him that no one else was capable of.

 

            “Fuck, I missed you too.”

 

            “I love it when you cry out for me. You sound so good, Mickey.”

 

            His hands found his hips pulling him into him slow and deep with each hard thrust. Mickey wound his legs over Ian’s shoulders and grabbed at the sheets in utter pleasure. The bed creaked beneath them and the headboard thumped nosily against the wall, but nothing was louder than the moans, groans, and cries coming from each of them.

 

            “Gonna cum. Holy fuck!”

 

            Mickey’s entire body went taunt and his hips bucked through Ian yanking his orgasm out of him. Ian couldn’t help but find him absolutely beautiful when he came. He quickly came too leaving them to ride out their orgasms together. They collapsed in a sweaty mess with all of Ian’s weight resting on Mickey. For whatever reason it wasn’t suffocating the way it should’ve been. Instead he felt warm, protected even.

 

            Ian nuzzled his nose into Mickey’s neck before kissing at Mickey’s clavicle. The drunkest most honest words came out of his mouth before he fell asleep atop his lover.

 

            “Please don’t leave me again; I need you.”

 

 

 

 

When Mickey first woke up he was more relaxed than he’d felt in months. The sheets were warm all around him and there was a heavy weight against his back keeping him grounded firmly to the bed. It was fucking delightful. Even though there was a slight pain in his forehead from the night before, it was obvious that he felt good.

 

            He opened his eyes to see the sun lighting up fire, red-orange locks with freckles that seemed to glow within its hue. It was so beautiful that it took him a second to realize he wasn’t supposed to be there witnessing it.

 

            “Ah fuck.” The dark-haired man muttered snatching the covers back and putting an end to the beauty.

 

            Ian woke up to a migraine the likes of hell had never seen, a really bad case of cotton mouth, and a grumpy ass Mickey huffing up a storm as he looked for his clothes.

 

            “I take it we’re not cuddling this time?” Ian asked.

 

            He was much slower getting up than Mickey, and it would’ve bothered him that the redhead wasn’t more bothered if he wasn’t itching to get the fuck home.

 

            “Fuck off ginger.”

 

            “Ahh there goes the whole use-of-a-nickname-to-symbolize-that-I-don’t-give-a-shit-about-you shtick. You’re starting to get a little predictable, Mick.”

 

            “You don’t know shit about me! Don’t pretend that you do.”

 

            “I mean I can make you cum so hard your toes curl with a shift of my hips, but by all means continue to tell me how much I don’t know about you. I need my meds before I deal with your fuckery this early.” He huffed.

 

            Mickey watched in astonishment as he ignored his being royally pissed off in favor for heading through the bathroom and then into the kitchen. Mickey had only managed to find his pants, meanwhile Ian was still walking around bare ass naked without a problem. If Mickey was gonna be this angry than he was gonna feel the wrath too.

 

            “So what happened last night? You trick me into coming back here and have one of your pap slimeball friend’s take pictures of it?”

 

            Ian rolled his eyes and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge.

 

            “I seem to remember it as: I kissed you, you kissed me back, I blew you in the bathroom, and _you_ made us come back here so I could fuck you like no one else can.” He shrugged.

 

            Mickey could feel heat at the tips of his ears. He’d never told Ian just how good he was in bed, but the ginger seemed to know his strengths anyway.

 

            “Don’t flatter yourself sweet cheeks; tequila’s a hell of a drink.”

 

            “Sure, Mick, whatever you say.”

 

            Mickey went about getting the rest of his clothes together and it dawned on Ian that he was about to leave. He couldn’t let him go without him having the truth, without him knowing that he’d only been after him.

 

            Mickey came back out to the redhead finally in some clothes leaning against the door and blocking the exit.

 

            “Welp, it’s been fun Red. See ya never.”

 

            “Here.” Ian said pushing something into Mickey’s hand.

 

            It was a flash drive.

 

            “The fuck is this for?”

 

            Ian sighed. “It’s the pictures I took of Mandy the first night we met? If you look most of them are either of you, or have you in it. I wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t use Mandy. The second I saw you I practically forgot about her. You can’t match those pictures to anything online because I never sold them. Pissed my boss the fuck off but… you were more important to me. I—I never wanted to hurt you, Mick.”

 

            Mickey peered up at him to catch the droopy look on his face. He looked like a kicked puppy, and everything inside of him was telling him to huge the poor bastard. But, he couldn’t. Mickey could hold a grudge like no other—it was a pride thing. Ian had hurt him, badly. How could he forgive him for that?

 

            “Sure thing.” He mumbled pocketing the drive. “Can I leave now?”

 

            Ian nodded grimly stepping out of Mickey’s way so that he could leave. When the door slammed closed it really felt like that was it. Mickey was out of his life and there was nothing he could say or do. He ended up replaying the night before—the sounds he’d made, and the feel of his skin—in his head. He thought nothing could hurt as much as losing him the first time. He was wrong.

 

 

Mickey snuck into the house hoping to avoid his sister’s dumb fucking face. Instead she was on the couch with her guitar plucking aimlessly at strings and waiting to mock the shit out of him. Might as well get it over with.

 

“Nice of you to come home. How was your night?” Mandy grinned.

 

Mickey rolled his eyes. “You know for an international popstar you’re sure fucking here a lot.”

 

“I’m between albums bitch. Now spill, are you and ginger giant an item again?”

 

“Fuck no. It was too much tequila and bad judgement. I merely fell off the wagon is all.”

 

“Oh like an addict? Mick, are you calling this guy your own addiction?”

 

She then dissolved into laughter like the cunt she was.

 

“Fuck off!” He yelled childishly before stomping off to his room.

 

His first mistake was getting involved with Ian. His second? Moving backing in with his sister.

 

In his room, Mickey tugged off the clothes he’d had worn to the club. His hips had bruises again and there was a splattering of hickeys along his clavicle and neck. He could still feel Ian inside him and his heart felt heavy in his chest. Being around him again was all consuming; he missed Ian more than he had the first time around. Being without him just fucking sucked.

 

He dug through his jeans to find the little flash drive Ian had provided him with after putting on new clothes. He plugged it into the computer Mandy kept in the room and took the next twenty minutes trying to figure out how to pull up a fucking flash drive before he remembered that google totally exists. The first picture on the thing was of him—he didn’t know whether to be happy or creeped out by this fact. There were pictures of Mandy, but he was in most of them and there were only a couple with her as the main focus in the picture. He didn’t know what to make of this. Every fiber of his being leant towards believing Ian, but that’s because he wanted to.

 

“Mandy!” He called out. “Come ‘ere!”

 

“What, what? What is it?” She asked after rushing into the room.

 

“Can you tell if any of these pictures of you were posted online?”

 

She raised an eyebrow stalking closer to peer at the computer screen.

 

“What you think I just sit at home all day googling myself? Where did you get these?”

 

Mickey shrugged. “Ian gave it to me before I left his apartment.”

 

She didn’t say anything but she was totally convinced that Mickey was in love with this kid. And it was kind of cute. Anything she could do to get this sideshow on the road, she would gladly volunteer her services.

 

“What you can do is drag the images into google images and it’ll search for the picture. If it’s not posted anywhere it should tell you.”

 

            It took him a second but Mickey eventually figured it out. His heart was beating a mile a minute as he fumbled with the search engine. The first picture was non-existent. His heart leaped into his throat. The next picture was similar. Every picture in the folder couldn’t be found online. Ian hadn’t lied, which meant Mickey was a grade A piece of shit. Immediately his brain went through every moment since they’d met replaying it in its appropriate fashion. Nothing was fake; nothing was a lie. He’d liked him the whole time.

 

            “Well would you look at that… Ginger giant wasn’t lying after all.” Mandy smirked. “You gonna go get him?”

 

            He looked at his sister and her please, sadistic look on her face. Fuck her for being right.

 

            “Ah fuck off!” Mickey failed pulling the flash drive out the computer with every intention of going to get his ginger back.

 

            Goddammit.

 

 

 

Ian was in the middle of using his pull up bar as a means to forget about Mickey Milkovich when there was a knock on the door. He’d been counting his reps with the letters of Mickey’s name so obviously that was going well.

 

“One second!” He called.

 

He’d taken his shirt off to work out so he grabbed a towel to toss over his shoulder and a bottle of water as he headed for the door.

 

When Ian opened the door look like a sweaty, chiseled god Mickey didn’t know where to fall to his knees and cry or suck the guy’s dick. It felt like there was steam coming off of his shoulders in waves, and his hair was messy, and he had a dribble of water running down his chin that Mickey should be licking. The things he could fucking do…

 

“Mick?” Ian called snapping him out of his daze. “Are you alright?”

 

Mickey coughed, looked down to try and hide the fact that his cheeks were burning and dug into his pocket for the flash drive.

 

“Oh… Did you look through them?”

 

“Yea.” He nodded. “I look really good in a club setting.”

 

“You do. You really do. I—I like you in most settings.” He stuttered.

 

Mickey snorted softly.

 

“So uh—you really liked taking pictures of me huh?”

 

“Yea?” Ian answered slightly confused on where this was headed.

 

He merely nodded before pushing as Ian’s chest and letting himself inside. Ian watched him head off towards the bedroom.

 

“You should get your camera then!” He called back to him.

 

Needless to say Ian followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> eeeeep! this was really fun to write. I missed Ian and Mickey. I hoped you enjoyed as much as I did. 
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> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. send me prompts maybe? 
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> Tumblr: zankivich

**Author's Note:**

> *looks down at the floor nervously*  
> I know. I know I know I know I know.... It may have seemed like I fell off the face of the planet. That's because I kinda did. College really took up all my time and something had to take the back burner and unfortunately fic writing was the chosen one. But It's summer--and I'll still be hella busy--but I'm trying to get back into the groove. I really don't want to abandon Friends so I am working on that now but I needed something to dip my toe back into the water and my smut game is trash now so I apologize in advance.
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> Comments and kudos are always appreciated. Hopefully you'll like this enough to not be so mad at me? :) 
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> SORRY AGAIN!


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